Patna to get tallest Gandhi statue on October 2

Patna: Bihar will pay a befitting tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 143rd birth anniversary on October 2. The state government plans to install a 40-foot-tall bronze statue of the father of the nation in the state capital.

"The world`s tallest statue of Gandhi will come up in Patna," KP Ramaiah, a government official, said.

According to officials, the statue will be installed at the historic Gandhi Maidan in the heart of the city.

Currently a 12-15 feet high statue of Gandhi stands in the Maidan. It had been installed in the mid-1990s by then chief minister Lalu Prasad.

Anil Sutar, a Delhi-based sculptor, was commissioned by the state government last year to create the 25-tonne statue, which cost Rs 40 crore. It will be taken to Patna from Delhi next month, an official said.

Anil`s father Ram Sutar is known for his statue of Gandhi, which has been displayed in more than 50 countries.